Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns question about snubby revolver recoil

How does recoil and shootability compare between a .38 special snubnose revolver (S&W J frame, Ruger LCR) and a compact 9mm like the S&W Shield? I have shot a Shield but have never had the chance to shoot a compact revolver. I know it depends on ammo choices, so let's assume the revolver is loaded with a lower recoil option like wadcutters.

With normal pressure 38s in a steel J frame I find I shoot it better than a micro 9mm. Get into alloy framed guns and 357 loads and they get violent. Midrange wadcutters as factory loaded are extremely mild and produce little recoil, if the light is right there be been able to see them in flight on their way down range.

The recoil spring in the Shield will make its recoil feel softer, plus or minus gun weight.

+P’s in an Airweight j frame will make your hand feel more directly connected to the fun. Get one - the only way to know is to try it.

Since you're going with a very mild load in the 38, grips will make the biggest difference in perceived recoil. The old service panels that came on j frames forever make anything much stouter than light 38 loads uncomfortable for me to shoot. The trigger guard comes right back into my knuckle. Put the more modern boot style grips or even a Tyler style adapter on one and the same piece is super fun to shoot.

Shoot them both and use the one that feels and shoots best.

There are methods to mitigate recoil in snub guns. After firing thousands of rounds through J frames, I started modifying mine. I take a strip of material along the narrow backstrap that cushions the effect of recoil. It helps considerably. It also fits my XL hands much better.






Plus I load mine with wadcutters. This is not just for recoil management but for the terminal performance, as JHPs in short barrels tend not to expand, and wadcutters have an excellent reputation for deep and consistent penetration, in spite of their relatively sedate velocity.

The small autos like the shield are easier to shoot quickly (in my opinion) but there are situations where I still prefer a snubby revolver. They are a quite practical tool. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and one needs to weigh them accordingly and see what works for them.

My wife's Lady Smith 38 is pleasant to shoot with std wadcutters or light loads of a 125 gr HP/W231. Step up to +P and not so much.Grips are Crimsom Trace Laser

I do roughly the same thing but add a strip of rubberized Talon material down the backstrap. It also makes the revolver easy to get out of a pocket if two fingers is all you can get on it.

Buddy of mine has a ruger lcr in 357. We shot an old box of Remington 125gr hollow points. Holy moly I'd rather shoot a snubby 44 mag, that little polymer gun was MEAN!
And those old green and yellow box remington 125's were a lot hotter than I expected.

I shot some short barrel HST (+P 130gr or 135gr) out of J alloy-framed revolver with rubber S&W combat grip (about half inch longer than a boot grip). The recoil was not bothersome at all. The recoil of my 9mm micro pistol is pretty bad. I thought felt similar to LCP .380, but it is worse because my hand felt sore for longer period of time, therefore, the recoil was obviously worse.

I carry jframes a lot and recoil or not shots on target speed and accuracy I can do better with the shield. There is more to hold onto with my support hand. Dat said 158 LRN @ 650 FPS is alls I need

No need to use .38 S&W ballistics in .38 Special. You can upgrade to Federal HST Micro .38 w/o problems.

Your internet googling is outstanding!

I doubt he even owns a B.B. gun.

I’m still waiting to see pics of his 38 magnum, or anything he posts about really

LOL !

Unless you need to carry in a pocket, a 3” revolver is much easier to hit with than a 2”, and the extra weight out front makes them more comfortable to shoot as well. In either case, a set of rubbery laser grips is a great addition. Steel-framed ones like my M60 are better yet when it comes to shooting, but at a weight and concealability penalty.

Since you’ve fired a Shield, go to a range that does rentals and try out a snubbie too. Better to try before you buy. Might turn out that the compact auto is your huckleberry after all.

Smallest 9 I’ve shot is the Ruger LC 9. Gun in hand I believe I can certainly shoot better and faster with the Ruger, plus it’s either 8 (7+1) or 10 (9 + 1) rounds on tap dependent on the magazine.

However, drawn hastily from a pocket holster my j-frame Airweight with its Uncle Mike’s Combat grip comes quickly surely and consistently to hand. Due to the long heavy trigger pull j frames are harder to shoot accurately, but at the close range a situation would most likely occur that prob’ly won’t matter so much.

‘Nother factor is pocket carry, even though it’s in a pocketholster, it’s not out of the question I could absentmindedly put my keys or pen or glasses in that same pocket, neither would it be impossible for said keys whatever to find leverage against the trigger.

Of course if your pocket nine has a safety that would prevent an AD, if it had a safety and if it was engaged. On an Airweight that long heavy trigger pull is already AD resistant in a pocket without the necessity of a safety.

JMHO

I will pocket carry a model 60 in 357 or a Glock 27 most often .
I’d have to put them on a scale to truly differentiate the weight between them
Mostly run 155s @ 1150 through the 27 , and you’ll feel that .. but it’s not really painful .
357 loads that match that in the j frame seem to sting me more .

I flat out love revolvers and that’s all I would use for a very long time but for whatever reason my results downrange have always favored a Glock ever since the first one I picked up .
I’m aware that’s probably not the norm

Can't comment on 9mm micro or compact semi-autos. Never shot one.

I do have a stainless J-frame S&W 649-2 snubnose (shrouded hammer "humpback" Bodyguard) 5-shot 38 special. I load it with full-charge hard-cast solid base wadcutters (not hbwc). The load is 3.5 grains Bullseye and 148 grain wadcutters (Lee 148 grain tumble lube, or H&G model 50 flat base/solid base made with straight wheel weight alloy).

Full-charge 38 special wadcutter load:
https://www.grantcunningham.com/2011/11/ed-harris-revisiting-the-full-charge-wadcutter/

Recoil is comfortable with my S&W 649-2. I do have a set of Uncle Mike's rubber "boot grips" on the revolver which greatly contributes to very comfortable, and controllable shooting.

I use this load in my S&W 3" full lug barreled model 60-4 38 special . It too is both very accurate and comfortable to shoot. It has factory rubber grips. Strongly recommend this grip style.